


The Ocean Knew Her

by Missy



Category: The Little Mermaid (1989)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Character Study, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 01:51:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7386058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ariel is not the sort to let fate push her around.</p><p>(Canon Divergence/ending rewrite in which she takes a much more proactive role in saving her voice and Eric)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ocean Knew Her

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bardsley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bardsley/gifts).



Her fingers closed quietly upon the fistful of sand in her grip. They’d left without her. Ariel knew precisely why. 

Why and how had she gotten to this point? Once upon a time she was a princess of Triton, strong even when she was dreamy, determined to find the world beyond the ocean at any cost. And now she sat on the shore, defeated, while Vanessa and Eric floated off to a life of happiness and solidarity.

Who would she point her accusing finger toward but herself?

The boat was only a few miles off from the shoreline. Ariel knew she could catch it. She swam like a fish. Better than a fish, better than Vanessa – even when Vanessa was an octopus. Oh, she knew Ursula’s dirty secret, needed only to look in the woman’s eyes to know the core of truth that propelled her forward. Scuttle’s news was no news at all but a confirmation of Ariel’s instincts, the first dent in her trusting nature. She knew the woman’s weakness, and knew, without a doubt, why she had lured Ariel into her snare.

There was nothing to do but fight for her dreams. Her toe dipped into the icy water but her teeth locked against the pain, determination running through her veins. The water knew her skin, tail or not – and she knew the water, fin or not. 

The route to the boat was shockingly quick, the climb up the unfamiliar rigging dangerous, but she had plenty of friends to keep her from slipping. Scuttle and his wings; Flounder and his shouts of encouragement; they bolstered her during her climb. Ariel soon found herself perched over the ceremony from the crow’s nest. 

The seaman who occupied the perch was dismayed by her very existence. “Oy, whatt’re you….”

She grabbed the whistle from his neck and blew it, long and strong, just as the vows were to be read.

“What’s the meaning of this?” the clergyman asked.

“Nothing,” Vanessa snarled, “go on with the ceremony.” She tugged on Eric’s arm and smiled brightly. 

“But,” the clergyman said, “that is definitely speaking up instead of holding her peace. The young girl seems to have something to say.”

“She can’t SAY anything!” Vanessa snapped, but Ariel was sliding down the rope rigging like a natural sailor, landing right before her. She lunged desperately for the shell hanging around Vanessa’s neck and the woman pushed her away, shrieking.

But the force of her jab resulted in something miraculous – the shell around Vanessa’s neck snapping off and shattering upon the deck. The effect was double – Ariel felt a sudden rush of magical heat as her voice was restored and Eric’s eyes cleared. 

One look at the girl seemed to make him realize the magnitude of his mistake. “You,” he said quietly. “It was you all along!”

“Eric,” Ariel said, smiling, reaching for him, embracing and kissing him just before the sun fell beyond the horizon.

Neither saw the massive, purple octi-woman rising to tower over both of them until it was too late.

*** 

The battle that followed was a volatile mess. Ariel battled with sword and hook, rope and pull, to defeat Ursula and save her love. Eric saves her life – she saves his. It’s a measure of equality that keeps them on their feet, lets Ariel pick up her father’s discarded trident, hurl it at the sea witch and pierce Ursula’s heart to kill her.

Eric and Ariel lay drying on the shore, staring up at the early morning sunrise.

“I knew you were beautiful and you could sing like an angel,” Eric said. “But you can fight like a sailor, too. How did you learn how to do that?”

Ariel smiled and watched the sun rise. Eric watched her eagerly as she decided to be honest. “It runs in the family,” she admitted, and as she kissed Eric she swore she could hear her father’s merry laughter echoing through the water, subsonic but a part of her marrow. Love had given her strength, but Ariel had driven herself toward her happy ending.


End file.
